1. Field
Embodiments may relate to a refrigerator and a method for controlling the same.
2. Background
A refrigerator has a plurality of storage compartments for accommodating foods to be stored so as to store the foods in a frozen or refrigerated state. The storage compartment may have one surface that is opened to receive or dispense the foods. The plurality of storage compartments include a freezing compartment for storing foods in the frozen state and a refrigerating compartment for storing foods in the refrigerated state.
A refrigeration system in which a refrigerant is circulated is driven in the refrigerator. The refrigeration system may include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The evaporator may include a first evaporator disposed at a side of the refrigerating compartment and a second evaporator disposed at a side of the freezing compartment.
Cool air stored in the refrigerating compartment may be cooled while passing through the first evaporator, and the cooled cool air may be supplied again into the refrigerating compartment. The cool air stored in the freezing compartment may be cooled while passing through the second evaporator, and the cooled air may be supplied again into the freezing compartment.
As described above, in the refrigerator according to disadvantageous arrangements, independent cooling may be performed in the plurality of storage compartments through separate evaporators. The plurality of storage compartments are not simultaneously cooled, and one storage compartment and the other storage compartment are selectively or alternately cooled.
In this example, although the storage compartment in which the cooling is performed is maintained to an adequate temperature, the storage compartment in which the cooling is not performed may increase in temperature and thus get out of a normal temperature range. In a state where the cooling of one storage compartment is required, if it is determined that the other storage compartment gets out of the normal temperature range, then the other storage compartment may not be immediately cooled.
As a result, in the structure in which the storage compartments are independently cooled, the cool air is not supplied at a suitable time and this may cause lacking of the refrigerant during the operation, thereby deteriorating operation efficiency of the refrigerator.